Box Draw Throws Albion Park’s Anzac Day Trophy Top Hopes
An interesting box draw for Thursday night's Anzac Day Trophy at Albion Park will see several top Brisbane greyhounds in the running for the $5,000 winner's cheque.
The annual Best Eight over 520m will this year be hotly contested with form favourites Rattle And Hum and Elma Fud drawing box four and seven, respectively.
The two relatively matched dogs have both won from these boxes in the past, but solid Albion Park improvers Earth Quest (box one) and Eskimo Dancer (box two) are sure to make it a tough sprint for the first turn.
Earth Quest came out firing last week with a blistering first sectional of 5.68 to win ahead of Genista Thunder from box one in a best time of 30.17.
Eskimo Dancer's inside box draw is sure to come in handy this week too after meeting both Elma Fud and Rattle And Hum in previous races from difficult middle boxes.
The Terence McCarthy-trained Rattle And Hum blitzed the field last week from box one to run a very sharp 29.94, with a first sectional of 5.79.
Two weeks ago, Elma Fud wore the red to claim victory from Rattle And Hum by four and a half lengths.
Thursday night's premier racing will feature another local derby other than the Anzac Day Trophy with the Best Eight Winning Edge 600m (Race Three).
Brisbane's 600m king, Black Ruler, has returned to his dominant best finding the line in a very sharp 34.81 after burning them at the boxes with a 9.99 first sectional.
The Reg Hazelgrove-trained Brisbane Greyhound of the Year should find the lead early jumping from a favourable box eight.
However, he won't be without his challengers, including the very tough Robert Giltinan-trained Code, who has drawn box one and is sure to race honestly as always.
Royston Renegade also spruiks top form, but will have a tough job from box five with Black Ruler coming across.
The fourth and fifth grade Give Me Five at Stud (Race Five) is an evenly matched feature race at the Creek.
While an outside box draw may prove difficult, Seminole (box seven) would be a value choice in this race having met the likes of Black Ruler and Code in previous 600m races and jumping back up to the 710m start.
Irish Fantasy would be expected to start favourite from box three having met extremely tough competitors in freakish bitch Queen Lauryn, top greyhound Shadow Boxer, and emerging stayer Genista Reign.
Another to keep an eye on in this race is Uno Play Boy from box one, who has also met tough competition in recent weeks, and is benefiting from race fitness in his five starts over the distance.
The ascend of southern greyhounds will begin at Albion Park this Thursday night also as preparations heat up for the 2009 Sky Channel Winter Chasing Carnival.
Top trainer Owen Makin has entered seven dogs in Thursday's racing, including what he considers his best galloper, Cradle Mountain, in the fourth and fifth grade Cartwright Property Group 520m.
Jumping from box one, the smart black dog by Hallucinate and out of Ruby Red Lips will take on Shooster in box three, and Christine Robartson's performer Whata Surf in box seven.
-
Andy Albion's Best Bets :
- Race 3 Number 8 Black Ruler
- Race 5 Number 3 Irish Fantasy
- Race 8 Number 1 Earth Quest